“The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is an American dystopian film directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie. Based on the 2025 novel Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, it serves as both a sequel to “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” (2023) and a prequel to “The Hunger Games” (2012), and will be the sixth installment in “The Hunger Games” film series. Taking place 24 years before the first film, 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) is selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games. Every 25th edition of the games, known as a Quarter Quell, adds a special twist to the annual Hunger Games rules. For the 50th Hunger Games, each district of Panem must send twice the number of tributes to the Capitol, who will fight to the death in a televised spectacle. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, Mckenna Grace, Maya Hawke, Whitney Peak, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Director Francis Lawrence and long-time franchise producer Nina Jacobson were kind enough to spend some time talking with us about their work and experiences making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will be released in theaters on November 20th from Lionsgate. Thank you, and enjoy!
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